Detroit Tigers at San Francisco Giants

Every pitcher who comes back from Tommy John surgery owes a debt to the late Dr. Frank Jobe, who theorized he could rebuild a torn elbow ligament using a tendon harvested from another part of the body and then saved John’s career with a successful operation in 1974. On Saturday, a young Tigers right-hander earned the win in his first start back from elbow reconstruction surgery, dominating the Giants over five innings in an 8-0 victory. His name: Jackson Jobe. While the Jobes were not related by blood, their bond is no less strong. Jackson Jobe joined a roster of thousands who now routinely rehab from the operation that his namesake pioneered. On a cool and windy afternoon at Oracle Park, Jobe held the Giants to a Willy Adames single and Drew Cavanaugh walk. He reached 71 pitches, close to his preordained workload, before manager A.J. Hinch pulled him in a scoreless game. Tyler Holton and Ty Madden finished the combined two-hitter. Jobe climbed a Major League mound for the first time since May 28, 2025 with his arm blazing. His first pitch back was a 97.3 mph fastball to the Giants’ Bryce Eldridge. Six pitches later, Jobe fired a 100.1 mph fastball past Eldridge for strike three. Jobe’s fastball mostly sat between 97-99 mph, but he checked off his other pitch boxes as well. In the second inning Jobe went fastball, slider, changeup to strike out Rafael Devers on three pitches, then caught Christian Koss looking an inning later on a curveball. Teammates and the staff were thrilled for Jobe, understanding the physical and mental toll a long rehab takes on a pitcher. For the fans back in Detroit, and perhaps even for some in the clubhouse, Jobe’s dominance sent yet another signal that not all is lost on the mound after the front office traded Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize at the Deadline. “Obviously we just lost two starters and we knew we were getting him back,” catcher Dillon Dingler said of Jobe. “We’re just going to try to keep him where he’s at right now. He’s going to be a huge part for our team down the stretch. We’re really looking forward to what he can bring.”